The Ripple Maker combines inkjet and 3D printing to print any imagine in coffee foam

Jun 25, 2015 | By Alec

Do you know all those cool leaves, hearts and smilies that one cute barista makes in your coffee? Those are about to become far less special. For this week, startup Ripples unveiled their Ripple Maker coffee 3D printer at CE Week in New York City. Combining inkjet printing with 3D printer technology, this machine can 3D print any previously uploaded image into your coffee foam each morning. Isn’t that awesome?

While some baristas have turned latte art into a profession, using milk, foam and coffee to create temporary works of art, this machine is set to industrialize this craft. Essentially acting like a 3D printer, the filament is coffee extract stored in Ripple Pods, which his extruded in just 10 seconds. The barista in charge of the cup simply selects an image in the concomitant Ripple App, though customers can also upload their on photos to the app to get custom images.

What’s more, it can be used on just about any foam-topped drink, so the possibilities are endless. Who wouldn’t want to drink a cup of coffee with their own face on it? But lots of other personal touches, from messages, to quotes and birthday greetings, are all possible. And as the pods contain pure coffee elements, all images will be made in coffee shades. ‘It's a holy relationship between you and your cup of coffee,’ Sharon Topper, head of marketing for Ripples, told reporters. ‘We want to make sure we are enriching it. It really is a new canvas, as we see it. Everyone looks better in foam.’

This machine has been developed by award-winning industrial designers from Ripples, a venture from Israel-based Steam CC. It was, as they explain on their website, a concept that began out of a love for coffee and the messages they can bring. The idea is that any venue that serves coffee – from coffee shops to hotels and restaurants – can now bring this emotional connection to their customers. ‘Latte art is one the most shared images on social media. We're taking latte art to a whole new level,’ said Yossi Meshulam, CEO of Steam CC. ‘When you put something beautiful in someone's hands, they want to share it. That's how we're making a ripple on the world.’

The Ripple Maker will be made available for $999, with service plans starting at $75 per month (including Ripple Pods, service and warranties), while the app is free to customers. Shipping is set to begin in September of this year. What’s more, it is reportedly very easy to operate, and only requires a bit of barista experience and basic understanding of apps. A video of the machine in action can be seen below.

And with business as its main target, Ripples has already caught a very big fish to bring their product to the market. ‘We are excited to unveil the Ripple Maker and proud to announce [German airline] Lufthansa as our first global brand,’ Meshulam told reporters. ‘Our mission is to add meaning, depth and joy to the coffee experience, cup by cup. And this aligns so beautifully with Lufthansa's commitment to 'Nonstop You'.’ Lufthansa will be debuting the machine in first and business class lounges later this year.